WR Branch among inactives for Colts

6:59 PM,
Jan. 11, 2014

New England Patriots wide receiver Deion Branch walks to the sideline during the second half of the NFL football AFC Championship football game against the Baltimore Ravens in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday, Jan. 20, 2013. The Ravens defeated the Patriots, 28-13, to advance to Super Bowl XLVII. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

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FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - Sizing up the Indianapolis Colts' AFC divisional playoff game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium:

The weather outside: Is close to frightful. A tarp covered the field, and was removed three hours before kickoff for pre-game warm-ups. A steady rain has been falling, and temperatures have followed suit. It was 56 degrees at 5 o'clock and expected to dip to 53 by kickoff. The wind is expected to gust to 20 mph during the game.

What's at stake: A berth in the Jan. 19 AFC Championship game. If the Colts win and San Diego upsets the Broncos Sunday in Denver, the ...